Artificial tooth-crown



(in) Model.)

I J. B. WELLS.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH GROWN.

N0.558,1-33'. Patented-Apr. 14,1896.

A1454 6. WZAQ AN DREW B GRAHAM FHOTUUTHQWASHING'I'DMUC UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

' JAMES B. \VELLS, OF LOWVILLE, NEWV YORK.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH-CROWN.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 558,133, dated April14, 1896.

Application filed February 5, 1896. Serial No. 578,156. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. WELLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowvillejrin the county of Lewis and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Tooth-Crownsand the manner of constructing the same as applicable in the artpopularly known as dentistry, and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to construct and adaptthe same,reference being had to the drawings making part of this application, andin which-- 7 Figure 1 shows avertical section of a natural organ towhose crown it is proposed to adapt the metallic covering. Fig. 2represents a side elevation of the tooth; Fig. 3, the tooth with theband and platinum covering; Fig. 4:, a side elevation with completedcrown; Fig. 5, a vertical sectional view of crown and tooth.

Similar letters represent similar parts in all the figures.

As the contour of the cuspidati are the most diflicult to fit, I willdescribe the construction of this form of crown as an illustration, theform being shown in Fig.1.

Selecting a piece of thin platinum plate,

(about 32 Stubbs gage,) a strip of sufficient length to encircle thelargest portion of the tooth-body is taken of a width equal to thelength of the cusp. This strip is formed into a hoop and lightlysupported in shape by a piece of fine iron wire until the upper edge canbe secured by soldering under the blowpipe, using for the purpose puregold. The lower margin of the hoop is slit up in two or three places andpartially trimmed with shears to approximate the cutting edge of thetooth-crown. The hoop is then returned to the crown of the tooth andwith a propershaped instrument the platinum is burnished down snugly tothe surface of the tooth upon all sides of its exposure, removing theplatinum from time to time to trim the lower edge with plate shears orfile, so that as little surplus metal may be left as possible. I nowremove the conformed shell thus prepared, using due care not to alterits shape in any way, and laying it upon some proper support,

as charcoal or asbestos, and with suitable appliance for heat and withthe surface of the metal properly fluxed proceed to melt upon theplatinum base the metal with which it is desired to cover the same(usually gold) until the entire shell or base shall have been properlystrengthened and covered, being especially careful to give the lower orbiting edge its due amount of metal. The exterior of the crown so formedis now to be nicely polished and tried upon the natural tooth to seethat the adjustment is perfect at the upper margin in connection withthe margin of the gum, after which it is to be removed and the shelllined with a very thin preparation of oxyphosphate cement, when theshell is returned to the tooth and pressed firmly to its place, forcingthe surplus cement out at the gum-margin, the setting of the cementfirmly attaching the metal shell to the natural organ. The constructionand adjustment of these metallic shells or coverings to the otherformsof crowns do not differ except in minor details, which are easilymet by any person skilled in this line of work.

My invention constitutes a new and usefulcovering for natural teeth andthe object attained twofold: first, the complete and perfectpreservation of the natural organ or what may yet remain in case ofpartial caries of the same, perfectly protecting it from all externaleffects injurious thereto; second, the production of a m etalliccrown-covering which may be utilized as a support for artificialsubstitutes to take the place of lost natural organs. What I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The process of forming a metallic crown for a tooth which consists insupporting about the tooth a thin sheet of platinum, soldering itsmeeting edges, burnishing the same to conform to the surface of thetooth, and then fluxing on metal to build up the tooth about itscircumference and biting edge, substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth.

. JAMES B. WELLS. Witnesses:

J. CARROLL HOUSE, WILLIAM T. BUsH.

